Implement for and a method of milking an animal

Abstract

An implement for milking an animal, such as a cow, that comprises a milking parlor where the animal can be positioned so that a robot arm which carries teat cups for application to the animal's teats can be positioned between the animal's front and rear legs. The robot arm is linked to a padded sensor that contacts the animal's hindquarters such that the robot arm maintains a relatively stable position between the animal's legs upon the animal's forward or rearward movement. The end of the robot arm can be located precisely relatively to the teats by an ultrasonic sensor. The implement provides for individual application of each teat cup to a teat and, once the teat cup is attached to the teat, the teat cup to be released from the robot arm so that a flexible connecting member provides the link between the rotor arm and the teat cup during milking. Upon completion of the milking, the flexible connecting member is used to pull the teat cup to the robot arm and seat it thereon.

Having disclosed our invention, what we claim as new and to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. An implement for milking an animal, such as a cow, comprising: a milking parlor for retaining the animal in a substantially fixed position, said fixed position generally aligned with said milking parlor's longitudinal axis;   a frame, said frame being attached to a side wall of said milking parlor such that said frame is capable to slidable movement along said side wall parallel to said longitudinal axis;   a robot arm, said robot arm being pivotally attached to said frame by a substantially vertical first pivot pin, said first pivot pin being located outside said side wall of said milking parlor and behind a vertical plane transverse to said longitudinal axis and tangential to the front side of the animal's udder, said robot arm further comprising two portions, a first portion attached via said first pivot pin to said frame and a second portion pivotally attached to said first portion by a substantially vertical second pivot pin, wherein said robot arm is capable of pivoting in a substantially horizontal plane around said first pivot pin such that said second pivot pin may be positioned between the animal's front and rear legs and at least one teat cup carried near an end of said second portion may approach the front side of the animal's udder; and   means for applying each said teat cup to a teat by independent substantially upward movement of each said teat cup.   
     
     
       2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sensor device capable of establishing the animal's position in the milking parlor. 
     
     
       3. An implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sensor device establishes the animal's position relative to the longitudinal axis of the milking parlor. 
     
     
       4. An implement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said sensor device is connected mechanically to said frame, said frame being movable in dependence on the animal's position along the longitudinal axis of said milking parlor. 
     
     
       5. An implement as claimed in claim 3, further comprising means for determining the position of said sensor device relative to said robot arm in accordance with a particular animal. 
     
     
       6. An implement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sensor device is provided with a stop bearing against the animal's hindquarters and further comprising actuating means for moving said sensor device in dependence on the position of said stop. 
     
     
       7. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said robot arm is connected to said frame by said first pivot pin mounted in a slidable framework, said slidable framework adjustable in height on said frame. 
     
     
       8. An implement as claimed in claim 7, further comprising detection means capable of establishing the position of a teat in a plane of a substantially flat or conical shape, said detection means being mounted on the upper side of said end of said second portion of said robot arm. 
     
     
       9. An implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein said detection means further comprise a sensor, such as an ultrasonic transducer, which transmits and/or receives a directional signal. 
     
     
       10. An implement as claimed in claim 9, wherein said signal is reflected by a concave mirror mounted near said sensor, said signal being deflected through an angle of approximately 90° in a substantially rearward direction to produce a more accurately directed signal bundle. 
     
     
       11. An implement as claimed in claim 10, wherein said sensor and/or said mirror can pivot or rotate about a substantially vertical axis. 
     
     
       12. An implement as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sensor and/or said mirror performs a reciprocating movement within a predetermined area. 
     
     
       13. An implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said plane is substantially horizontal and is positioned above one said teat cup which is arranged near said end of said robot arm and is supported thereby. 
     
     
       14. An implement as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a computer for calculating the position of a detected object relative to said end of said robot arm and for producing signals which direct control means to move said robot arm such that one said teat cup carried by said robot arm can be moved under a teat of the animal's udder. 
     
     
       15. An implement as claimed in claim 14, wherein said control means are provided with hydraulic and/or pneumatic operating cylinders and/or a spindle readjusting means. 
     
     
       16. An implement as claimed in claim 13, wherein each said teat cup is connected to said robot arm via at least one flexible connecting member, said flexible connecting member forming a flexible connection between said robot arm and one said teat cup during milking and being capable of pulling said one teat cup to said robot arm. 
     
     
       17. An implement as claimed in claim 16, wherein said flexible connecting member comprises a wire or a rope made of a synthetic resin material and/or a metal, said robot arm being provided with guide means consisting of rollers or similar component parts having rounded corners for defining the path of said flexible connecting members. 
     
     
       18. An implement as claimed in claim 16, wherein said flexible connecting member is connected to a teat cup holder, one said teat cup being pivotally connected, preferably near its upper end, to said teat cup holder such that the pivotal axis is at an angle to the vertical such that said axis passes through an open upper end of said teat cup. 
     
     
       19. An implement as claimed in claim 16, further comprising drive means for pulling said flexible connecting member so that said teat cup, which during milking is remote from said end of said robot arm, is returned and seated against said robot arm. 
     
     
       20. An implement as claimed in claim 19, wherein said drive means further comprises a pneumatic or a hydraulic cylinder accommodated in said robot arm. 
     
     
       21. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said teat cup is moved upwardly relative to said robot arm, there being provided means for producing a vacuum in said teat cup approximately simultaneously with the upward movement. 
     
     
       22. An implement as claimed in claim 21, further comprises: for each said teat cup, said robot arm being provided near its end with an upwardly slidable supporting element against which said teat cup can be pulled by means of said flexible connecting member. 
     
     
       23. An implement as claimed in claim 22, wherein said supporting element is provided with at least one cutout portion through which said flexible connecting member passes, said cutout portion being a vertically extending slot. 
     
     
       24. An implement as claimed in claim 23, further comprising means for closing a milk hose and/or a pulsating hose when said teat cup is supported by said robot arm. 
     
     
       25. An implement as claimed in claim 24, wherein a portion of said milk hose retained in a holder is flattened by means of a lever which is operated simultaneously with the upward movement of said teat cup relative to said robot arm. 
     
     
       26. An implement as claimed in claim 25, wherein a cylinder/piston unit is connected by means of its one end to a control lever for upwardly moving said teat cup and by means of its other end to a control lever for flattening said milk hose. 
     
     
       27. A method of milking an animal, such as a cow, comprising the steps of: guiding the animal to a milking parlor;   recognizing the animal in said milking parlor by means of an animal recognition system;   moving a robot milking arm to an initial position beneath the animal's underside and between its front and rear legs, said robot milking arm approached the animal's udder from the front side;   attempting to detect, by means of a sensor, the presence and position of one or more teats of the animal's udder;   adjusting the height of said robot arm when the teats are not detected and repeating the attempted detection step until detection occurs;   orienting said sensor on one teat;   moving one said teat cup under the teat oriented on by said sensor;   sliding said teat cup upwardly while inducing a vacuum therein;   attaching said teat cup to teat; and   withdrawing said robot arm from said teat cup.   
     
     
       28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein once it has been established which animal is present in the milking parlor and said robot arm is moved into position under the animal, said robot arm is simultaneously moved forwardly along said milking parlor's longitudinal axis until a sensor device comes to bear against the hindquarters of the animal, said sensor device maintaining said robot arm in approximately the same position under said animal thereafter throughout the milking operation. 
     
     
       29. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein a plurality of said teat cups carried by said robot arm are sequentially applied to the animal's udder by successively repeating the attempting, adjusting, orienting, sliding, attaching, and withdrawing steps commencing with the teats that are in a more rearward position of the udder. 
     
     
       30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein each said teat cup remains connected to said robot arm via a flexible connecting member, said flexible connecting member being the means of which each said teat cup is retrieved by being pulled towards and against a position intended therefor near the end of said robot arm at the conclusion of the milking operation for each said teat cup or when the attaching step has failed for one said teat cup.